He smiled when he saw the car pull up and the familiar figure clamber out.
"Have fun?" he asked, smirking. She just looked at him.
"You had the right idea to stay away," Janet told him.
"Did you talk to him?" Jack wanted to know as they headed inside. He moved to the kitchen area to fix her a drink, while she collapsed on the sofa.
"Yes," she sighed. "It was weird. I mean, it's been eight years, but when I looked at him, I couldn't remember why I left."
* * *
2002
Jack groaned as someone banged loudly on the door to his cabin. He pushed away the bottle of whiskey and stood up, wondering who was foolish enough to come out to see him at this time of the night in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Wincing as a large crash of thunder echoed around the sky, he flung open the door.
A soaking wet Janet Fraiser was standing there, a small overnight bag slung over her shoulder.
"Janet?" he asked, his brow furrowed in surprise as he moved out of the way of the door to let her in. Shutting the door, he moved towards the bathroom and returned with a couple of towels, which he threw to her. He threw another log on the roaring fire and grabbed another tumbler. He poured a generous shot of whiskey into it and tried to hand it to her, but she shook her head.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, guiding her to the armchair closest to the fire.
"I didn't know where else to go," she said, shivering slightly. Jack grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around her petite frame.
"What's happened?"
"I think I've left Daniel."
* * *
Moving back to the living room, he handed her a glass with a small amount of whiskey in and collapsed into the armchair with a drink of his own.
"You're still in love with him, aren't you?" he asked. Janet swallowed a mouthful of the amber liquid before nodding slowly.
"I never stopped loving him, Jack," she said. "It was just... I don't know. We were fine until the Aschen came and then everything just went downhill from there."
"Tell me about it," Jack remarked bitterly as he drained his glass. "I think I would have preferred to have taken our chance against the Goa'uld."
She nodded, thinking about what she and Sam had discovered earlier that day.
After a moments silence, Jack spoke up again. "So, do you think you'll be seeing him again anytime soon?"
There was a slight flush to Janet's cheeks as she replied "We're going to dinner tonight. Not just us," she quickly clarified. "Sam and Teal'c will be there too. So, if you don't mind..."
He cut her off. "Not a problem," he assured her. "Did you tell him?"
She shook her head slowly. "No," she said. "I wanted to, I just couldn't find the words. I didn't know how to tell him then; I still don't know how to tell him now."
* * *
2002
Jack looked at his cousin in shock. "He doesn't know?" he asked again.
Janet shook her head. "No, and you can't say anything to him either," she said.
"Janet..." he began warningly.
"Jack, promise me that you won't say anything - to anyone," she pleaded, her eyes wide.
He sighed. "You should tell him," he said. "It's not my place to say anything, so I won't."
Janet visibly relaxed. "Thank you," she said. "I just... I don't know. Everything's just so fucked up at the moment, and this..." She paused, wiping her eyes with her hands.
Jack looked over at her. "Come here," he said, opening his arms. She all but collapsed into them and he held her tight. "We'll get through this, I promise."
* * *
"Another?" Jack asked, waving his empty glass. Janet shook her head.
"No, I've got to drive back to the transport terminal soon," she said, sighing. She had pretended to be enthusiastic about the meal earlier, although she really wasn't too sure about it. If she and Sam hadn't found out those statistics earlier then chances were that she'd have called Sam and cancelled.
"Suit yourself," he replied, standing up in order to refill his own glass.
"I'd rather you didn't drink so much yourself," Janet informed him. "You're a bad enough influence when sober!"
Jack grinned. "With her genes, she doesn't need any influence to be trouble!"
* * *
2003
She was vaguely aware of someone telling her that she had to open her eyes and cautiously did so. Jack was standing above her, grinning.
"Bit of a role reversal here, eh?" he joked. "Used to be me in the bed with you looking down on me. I tried to get one of the doctors to loan me a penlight for old times, but they wouldn't, the boring sods."
"How long was I out for?" she asked, her throat slightly hoarse. Jack passed over a cup of water from the bedside table and helped her sit up so she could sip at it.
"Not too long... a couple of hours give or take," he said. Smirking, he added. "Apparently they didn't take into account your size when they put you under."
She glared at him, and he raised his hand in defence. "Hey, just telling you what they were saying. But right now, there's someone who'd like to meet you."
He turned away and Janet sat up eagerly, ignoring the pain she was feeling in her lower abdomen. Jack turned back and placed a small bundle in her arms. "Here you go, mommy," he said proudly.
Janet felt tears welling up as she pushed aside the blanket to look at her baby daughter.
"Seven pounds, eight ounces," Jack told her. "You did good, kiddo."
* * *
"Speaking of my darling daughter, where is she?" Janet asked, looking around her.
"Out in the tree house," Jack said, checking his watch. "She should be back in any minute."
As if on cue, the backdoor slammed. "Uncle Jack, I'm back in time. Can I have some cookies now?"
Janet turned to face a sheepish looking Jack. "You bribed her?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Mommy!" A human canon ball launched herself into Janet's arms. "When did you get back? Did you have fun? I still think you should have let me come, although I had fun with Uncle Jack. He was showing me how to play poker..." Jack groaned, and both Fraiser women turned to look at him.
"Elizabeth Danielle Fraiser, what did I tell you not to tell your mom?" Jack asked. Beth looked sheepish.
"I wasn't supposed to tell her about the poker or that we had ice-cream for lunch," she said solemnly. Jack just sunk his head in his hands and groaned again. "Oops?"
Janet shook her head in disbelief as she readjusted the seven-year-old on her lap. "What was I saying about you being a bad influence?"
* * *
2007
"You don't have to leave," Jack said, even as he helped her load the suitcases into the car. "It's not as if you need to work, and since the extension, there's plenty of room."
Janet closed the trunk and turned to face him. "If it was just me, then yes, I'd probably stay," she said. "But I've got Beth to consider."
Jack looked blank. "So? It's great for her up her, with the trees and fresh air. It's much healthier for her here than in Washington."
Janet sighed. "Jack, we're twenty miles from civilisation," she pointed out. "She starts kindergarten in September and the distance is just too much for her to do everyday. There are no other kids out here for her to play with, and even though her Uncle Jack may be a big kid at heart, he's not her age. I want her to be able to socialise with children her age, and before she starts school."
"I guess you're right," he said. "But why Washington?"
She shrugged. "The Aschen will let me keep an office there," she sad. "Human doctors may not be in demand much anymore, but I can't not be one." She brushed hair away from her face and sighed. "I just need something to keep me occupied while my baby's at school."
"You'll be back here for vacations though?" Jack asked, hoping that he didn't sound too desperate. He knew that the company of the past five years had been mostly responsible for keeping him sane.
"As long as you'll have us," she assured him, smiling.
"Good."
* * *
It was with regret that Janet got back in her car, smiling as Beth blew her kisses from her uncle's arms. "Be good, both of you," she told them. "Beth, you're going to be in bed and asleep by the time I get back, aren't you?"
She nodded solemnly. "Yes, mommy."
"I'll wait up for you," Jack told her. "In case you need an ear, or a shoulder."
Janet smiled tightly. "I might need both."